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Rookie WR Jerreth Sterns Comes Up Big

Rookie WR Jerreth Sterns Comes Up Big


When you catch 150 passes in a 14-game season, it’s pretty clear you don’t miss anything thrown your way. For Jerreth Sterns, that currently includes his first NFL opportunity.

Sterns grabbed that opportunity smoothly on Saturday night when he made his professional debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom he had signed as an undrafted free agent out of Western Kentucky in May. Sterns is coming off a remarkable 2021 season in which he won college football’s receiving ‘Triple Crown,’ leading the nation in catches (150), receiving yards (1,902) and touchdown receptions (17).

By choosing to sign with the Buccaneers, Sterns put himself at the bottom of a long ladder, as he joins one of the NFL’s most loaded receiving corps. However, due to injuries and/or coaches’ decisions, the Buccaneers played without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Russell Gage and Breshad Perriman on Saturday, there were plenty of snaps to go around. It also helped that the Bucs controlled the clock for 34 minutes and ran 71 plays to Miami’s 45.

Third-year man Tyler Johnson was essentially the most experienced receiver available and he was the top target in the first half, finishing with a team-high six catches for 73 yards. Sterns played extensively in the second half, though, and contributed four catches for 51 yards, including arguably the two biggest grabs of that half. He wasn’t thinking about his stats in the moment, though.

“I wasn’t really worried about that at the time, I just wanted to win going into the game,” said Sterns. “It was cool with all that happening and everything. I’ve been dreaming about playing in the NFL since I was seven years old, so it was just a blessing to even be on that field.”

With the Bucs trailing by nine midway through the third quarter, Sterns lined up in the left slot on first down from the Miami 19 and ran a route that took him across the goal line and towards the goal line. He pulled the home team within two points with a silky over-the-shoulder…

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